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Monday, July 28, 2014

Grey skies, grey waters...grey outfit! It's not winter in Australia unless you inappropriately wear shorts at least once. These sweet things are the sort of thing I can never walk past. Tailored? Check. Patterned? Check. Flattering on the old hips? Check. If you would like to pick up a pair you can do so soon enough from Light and Beauty Boutique.
I'm back home now from my amazing USA adventure (pics to come!) and have been told I've brought the good weather with me! It's far chillier than I'm used to but that's just making me more excited for summer :) Of course after America it's going to be soups and salads until then ha ha ha

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Always wondered how your favourite accounts on Instagram achieve their amazing flat lay images? I did! I'm a total newbie to creating a good Instagram flat-lay, especially when it involves fashion items! Those pesky jumpers bunch in all the wrong places and ruin the shot! So I did little bit of research (yes, lurking instagram) and after some trial and error, I am ready to create aesthetically pleasing insta-images!

Flat Lay like your favourite fashion bloggers with these handy steps:

1. Download an App
#SquareDroid for Android or SquareFX for Apple is a nifty little trick to make every image fit the Instagram parameters. You can manipulate it to have extra white space, and anyone who is anyone will tell you white space is the key to a pleasing image.

2. Balance the Image
You'll notice that the pics you love the most usually have something random thrown in. That bottle of Vitamin Water or the handful or raspberries are certainly not a key part of your outfit but they do tell a wider story, add some life and fill the corners of your flat lay. Using similar colours to those in your outfit are key here; think of it as an accessory!

3. Background Work
Perhaps the number one thing that can ruin an image: a poor background. Find a clean, ideally white space and get arranging! I've seen bloggers use a large piece of white paper or their white bed sheets (clean sheets please) but a slate grey pavement of kitchen bench can work too. Just keep it uniform, simple and let the items pop not blend.

4. Captain Birdseye
Like our favourite fish fingers, you want to have a good look before you take a snap (in case they're not golden and crunchy yet). Check out a few different angles and see which ones catches the light the best and reduces shadows. Don't be afraid to get up high with a step stool and zoom in! Use Instagram's features to swivel the image further if need be.

5. Light it up!
Now that we mention shadows... you don't want them. Take your pics outdoors or near a window in the middle of the day You can even pick up some light boxes on eBay quite cheaply which a lot of beauty bloggers use! Filters increasing the amount of light/contrast will also save some darker pictures, just experiment till you find a happy 'natural' medium.

6. Less is more
Sometimes showing off every element of your outfit isn't necessary. If your jeans aren't ironed and they're not working, take them out and replace it with a fedora, or nothing! Keep it simple, a couple colours maximum and lot's of white space.

7. Practice, practice, practice!
I am far from an Insta Queen but if you find something you love, just keep doing it till you get it right! Since I got "Flat Lay Envy" I've experimented more and trust me, you'll know when you get it right. Oh, you'll know.